A\N: Came across this humorous Worm fic called "Lord Doom" on SpaceBattles that really tickled my fancy. It's a Nanowrimo project, so pretty good chance it'll actually finish. I highly recommend it.

Chapter 12

February 5, 1927, Jersey City, Unified States

I rode through the streets, arms stretched to grasp the handlebars on my company motorbike. Well it was a company motorbike, I'd just picked up one of the Scouts from the motor pool when I'd headed out this evening.

In my past life, I had neither the opportunity nor the inclination to the ride a motorcycle, considering them deathtraps best suited to those infatuated with their rebellious self-image. In this life, only the greatly reduced speed of traffic and a constant reflex enhancement spell gave me the confidence to get on one of these machines. However, it couldn't be avoided. As the Field Commander of Velvet Iron Protection, I had to be able to do everything my agents could do, which now included riding a motorcycle.

At least there wasn't too much paperwork involved in riding one of these. Anyone could operate a bike with a basic driver's license, which in this place and age meant an hour's testing and a few basic questions on road safety. And once I got that, I basically retired my Moana Kane persona. I might eventually bring her back if I ever found any use for that high school diploma, but twenty-year-old Jennifer Ecks (as shown on my New York driver's license) was now the face I wore pretty much everywhere. Passing myself of as twenty was not that unrealistic now that I was almost 4'10" in height. Of course what would happen if I kept on growing was an interesting question, but in preparation for that day I'd got myself a set of elevated boots. If my growth spurt continued I could swap out for regular footwear and not have to invent yet another identity. This was good, as I was honestly getting attached to Jennifer Ecks, no matter how much Jenny might razz me over stealing her name.

As for the actual experience of riding a bike, I could see how some people could romanticize it. For those who'd never been an aerial mage, it might actually feel similar to flying. For me, it was clumsy, noisy, and so very slow. Seriously, this so called 'sports bike' could barely top fifty miles per hour on a highway. Right now I was at almost forty, and I could feel the engine straining. Fortunately, I was almost to the goal of this evening's excursion. My target was none other than the Mayor of Jersey City, and arguably the most powerful political figure in the state, one John Hague Junior.

It was not his position as Mayor which made him powerful, but his position as the Democrat party leader in Hudson County. Through a combination of bribery, voter fraud, and a massive, legitimate electioneering organization designed to maximize voter turnout, he could conjure votes almost on demand in any election held within the county. The last three Governors of the state of New Jersey owed their position to the votes delivered by Hague. The man was the next best thing to politically untouchable. So, when one of my communication mages reported that the Mayor was walking the streets, and had actually paused to have a conversation with the agent in question, I leaped on the opportunity to make the acquaintance of such an important person.

Over the last few weeks, there had been quite a few questions asked by the local police regarding our business. It hadn't troubled me too much, since I had long since anticipated this kind of attention. Not even Americans could be completely blasé about what amounted to a private army patrolling their city streets, and I was honestly surprised I had to move to New Jersey to get the level of official attention I had long since expected. Still, no matter how expected the scrutiny, that didn't stop it from being uncomfortable, and I figured making a positive impression on the Mayor could only help clear up misunderstandings before they had the chance to fester.

I came around a corner and I immediately spotted a thin dour-faced middle-aged man of around 5'8". In the dim light I had to use a bit of magnification, but it wasn't hard to recognize my quarry. As I pulled up in front of him and hopped off the bike, Hague stopped to stare at me. I couldn't help but quietly sigh. The sight of a small woman on a large bike never seemed to cease to draw stares. I suppose the combat fatigues didn't help either.

As I placed the bike on its kickstand and adjusted the submachine gun strapped to my back, I noted the three plainclothesmen that had been tailing the mayor, and who had broken into a frantic run to get closer as soon as I showed up. This time I couldn't keep from scoffing under my breath. If I'd really meant the Mayor harm, I could have shot him and been on my way long before any of them could do any good. Truly, it was a testament to the innocence of the times that such an important figure could feel safe walking the streets at night with such inadequate security.

I plucked off my helmet to let my red-dyed hair free and then pulled down my VIP face-mask before addressing him, "Good evening, Mr. Mayor. I'm surprised to see you out on such a cold evening." Yes, I'd repeatedly drummed it into my agent's heads never to reveal their identities. But you can't hold a proper discussion with someone who couldn't see your face, and this particular street didn't have any of my agents anyway.

As his escort caught up with us I idly noted that although they had hands in their pockets, my friendly greeting seemed to have persuaded them not to pull weapons just yet. In hindsight, showing up without an appointment may not have been the best idea, but when else am I going to get the chance for a face-to-face with a genuine political powerhouse? As I was making sure no one was going to do anything premature, the mayor seemed to have finally gotten over his surprise at a woman on a bike, and was addressing me, "And how can I help you, miss...?"

"Jennifer Ecks, of Velvet Iron Protection. And I don't want anything, sir, just making stopping by to make sure everything is all right. Very rare to meet a personage of your importance out on the streets like this."

"I like to see how things are with my own eyes. Reports can only do so much."

I was pleasantly surprised. It was rare to meet a politician so conscientious. "I understand perfectly, sir. Surprise inspections are the best way to keep people on their toes."

"Mm, yes. Speaking of inspections, I spoke to one of your colleagues a little while back, and he mentioned how none of you were supposed to remove your masks?"

"Quite correct. It's a measure to protect our friends and family from criminal reprisal. But in my case, I have no close friends and no family. Plus, I'm also the field commander, so you might say that along with our CEO, I'm one of the faces representing Velvet Iron to the larger population. Kind of hard to do that with a mask on."

He blinked at me for a moment, then said slowly, "Forgive me, but I have a hard time believing you are their commander."

I bristled a bit. "Because I'm a woman?"

"Because you look younger than my daughter."

I smiled at this. "You flatter me, Mr. Mayor. But I'm far more experienced than I look."

We walked together for a moment of silence, then he spoke. "I'll be honest, I've heard some less than good things about your company. I heard there was a bit of a mess in Qintown."

I carefully kept from wincing. I had to admit, it was quite embarrassing that two of my men had allowed themselves to be trapped and overrun by a gang of thugs. It spoke poorly of their training and awareness, and thus it spoke poorly of me. That they had been outnumbered ten to one didn't matter - my former superiors in the Empire would have simply pointed out they should not have been allowed to fall into such a trap in the first place. Still, I had to remember, the mayor was a civilian. Throw around a few numbers, and he might not question the tactical failure. "I understand, it was quite an embarrassing showing. Still, in the defense of my men, they were outnumbered ten to one. Under the circumstances, taking down six of their assailants wasn't too shabby. And we took steps to ensure there wouldn't be a repeat of such an incident."

"Oh? What kind of steps?"

Ah, crap. I couldn't admit to committing murder. "Well, it was at that point we invested in motorbikes and for rapid-response units," I said, while waving at the bike behind us. "We've also got our own medic squads for emergencies, and we're working on greatly improving tactical communications."

"That all sounds impressive, but do you think that will be enough?"

"Ah, but you forget, our enemies were criminals. And criminals lack discipline and honor. One of the main leaders of the criminal organization - they call themselves the Hip Sing - found himself killed by one of his own associates. The resulting infighting is still going on."

"That was quite fortunate for you."

"Fortune favors the prepared, Mr. Mayor. We have the training, the equipment, the discipline, we can easily bounce back from any setback, rebuild from any loss! Whereas all it takes is one untimely death to throw the unprepared into confusion."

There was another patch of silence at this. The mayor seemed to be thinking hard on my words. I decided to restart the conversation before he could find some holes to poke in my statement. "Speaking of untimely deaths, I am honestly surprised to find someone as important as yourself so unprotected."

Now he was the one bristling, as he waved at the trio behind as, "I am quite well protected, as you can see!"

"Yes, you are. Against angry voters and random hoodlums. But not against a prepared adversary."

"This is not Qintown, Miss Ecks. People here do not go around shooting guns in the streets. We have the finest police force in the country! Anyone trying to start something in my city will find the full force of the law coming down on them like a ton of bricks!"

"Exactly!" I said, clapping my hands. "From all accounts, you have done a fine job, Mr. Mayor. There is a reason you've been in charge for almost a decade now. But alas, success breeds jealousy. Jealousy breeds desperation. You and I are civilized people, but it only takes one person who thinks they can get away with it to start something. I mean, look at what almost happened with Teddy Rosenvelt! If Mr. Rosenvelt's assailant had actual military training, the situation would have been a whole lot worse. Just for starters, a trained soldier would not have tried to kill someone with something as feeble as a pistol."

"Oh?"

"Indeed." At this point, I was drawing inspiration from what little I remembered of the Kennedy assassination. "A properly trained shooter can put a bullet through a human head at several hundred yards, and America has no shortage of effective hunting rifles. I mean, look at this street." I waved at the buildings around us. "That particular building commands the entire street. A shooter on the top floor could hit anyone on this street. And the range is less than four hundred yards, easy meat for a trained sniper."

"You speak from experience?"

"I've had experience with urban snipers." I replied, my mind flashing back to Arenne. "And I doubt I'm the only one. We in Velvet Iron do our best to recruit those with military experience." Of course, the American military hadn't fought a major war in decades, so hardly any of my agents had seen actual battle, but let's not mention that.

"And you think it would be that easy?"

"I know it would be that easy. A politician has to be in certain places at certain times. And even during unexpected excursions, a truly dedicated assassin will have people in place to keep him apprised regarding his target's movements. After all, it took me only ten minutes to find you tonight."

Hague was looking quite unwell by this point. Not too surprising, it's never pleasant to be faced with your own mortality. Hopefully, he would be more cautious in the future. While the idea of a leader going around on his own to see things on the ground sounds romantic, it's a recipe for tragedy if he doesn't take proper precautions.

"And what do you want, Miss Ecks?"

I tried to protest my good intentions, but he was an important and powerful man. I'd already admitted to seeking him out, there's no way he would believe I'd done it without a goal in mind. And since he seemed inclined towards frank speaking, I said, "I am but a part of Velvet Iron Protection. And what we want is to do our legitimate business without undue interference."

"I can't have gunfights in the streets!"

"And you won't get any. It is a testament to your efficiency Mr. Mayor, that there are practically no well-entrenched criminal gangs in this city as there are in New York. I foresee very few attempts to interfere with our clients. We do not seek to start trouble, Mr. Mayor. But neither will we stand by and let those who pay for our protection be victimized."

"And what about those who don't want to pay for your protection?"

"Why, they will just have to make do with the regular police force, like everyone else."

"And what if those you are protecting are criminals?"

"Discretion is part of our service. We neither know nor do we care to know our clients' business. If their business is against the law, the police are free to search and seize them - provided they have a legal warrant."

"A warrant?"

"Of course. We are a nation of laws, are we not? Without a legal warrant, no one is getting into a place protected by Velvet Iron. Not even you, Mr. Mayor."

I let him chew on this information for a bit. Then he spoke up, "As long as you don't cause a public disturbance, I suppose there is nothing more to be said. But if you're going to be operating in this city, well, it is only proper to make some kind of civic contribution."

Now what did he mean by that? I'd been prepared to pay a bribe, but this conversation had shown he seemed genuine in his concern for his city...ah! Of course! "If you are asking if the city government can hire Velvet Iron, I can assure, not only are we available, but I'd... I mean the CEO would be willing to forgo our usual rates and instead offer our services on a cost-plus basis."

"Ah, well..."

He didn't seem too enthusiastic about that. I guess with an effective police force such a deal would not sound very attractive. I decided to sweeten it further, "And of course, if you need us to provide security for some kind of charity event, I'm confident I could persuade our CEO to provide our services pro bono."

"Oh?" He seemed to think about this for a second, then asked tentatively, "As it happens, I've been seeing quite a bit of interference raising funds for a college baseball team ever since they started admitting blacks to the team. Do you suppose...?"

"Say no more. My men will take a positive pleasure in ensuring the fundraising proceeds without interference. No charge."

"Excellent. And how about providing security to my election workers during the polls?"

"While voting is a sacred right, that's a bit too much manpower to provide for free. But I'm sure we can offer the service at cost plus just a few percent."

"Well, Miss Ecks, this sounds like the beginning of a fruitful partnership."

"How wonderful. Speaking of, Mr. Mayor, I've heard you've been trying to revamp the healthcare system for this city?"

"Indeed I have."

"Well, have you considered the utility of magic in healthcare?"

"If you mean medical mages, we have a few, but they are terribly expensive."

"That they are. But are you aware that humanity has been practicing magic for thousands of years, before the advent of modern computation jewels and medical mages?"

"What are you suggesting?"

"Just a modern adaptation of some ancient wisdom from the Far East. As it happens, Velvet Iron's parent company, Manpower Plus, has recently diversified into alternative magical solutions. Tell me, have you heard of Feng Shui...?"

February 20, 1927, Londinium, Albion

"It's her, it has to be her!"

Captain Strong, Unified States Naval Intelligence, observed his agitated subordinate. "Are you sure, Ensign?"

"Yes, I am!" shot back Ensign Mary Sioux. "Tina Kurosawa showed up on the street within days of Degurechaff's disappearance. Her physical profile matches Degurechaff's almost perfectly! And that pawn shop owner we found described in excellent detail how she was way too dangerous for a normal girl her age!"

"And her ability with Akinese?" came the amused voice of Lieutenant Elya Roth of Imperial Military Intelligence. "While the Empire went to considerable lengths to promote the Argent Silver, even we didn't pretend she could learn an entire new language without anyone noticing."

Mary gritted her teeth. That was the single biggest sticking point with her conclusion. If it had been a matter of spoken language - well, how many people on the streets of London actually knew Akinese when they heard it? Unfortunately, Tina Kurosawa had also taken the time to paint a wall hanging for one of her usual haunts, Sal's Pub. The pub owner had confirmed 'Tina' as the creator of the painting, and a translator had confirmed it to be a traditional Akinese proverb written in traditional Akinese pictograms.

"It's a con," gritted out Mary. "Think about it. She hardly ever spoke Akinese because she never interacted with people who did. And that painting? How difficult would it be for someone like her to look up the correct way to write a single proverb? A few hours' work at most, and suddenly there is tangible proof that Tina Kurosawa and Tanya Degurechaff are not the same person."

"And she did all this... when? Between running from all of Albion and pretending to be a street urchin and working as a dishwasher she somehow took the time to go to... Oxford?... And sneak into their Oriental department to look up the right way to paint Akinese proverbs."

"Lieutenant," came the quelling tone from Captain Strong. Then he turned back to Mary and said, "While she is being unnecessarily caustic, she's not wrong. It does seem like an excessive amount of effort for a cover. But... you're not wrong either, Ensign. If it wasn't for this one point, I would be supporting your theory without reservation."

"Really?" Elya raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I thought we all agreed she'd had to have had outside help to break out. Why would she be drawing attention as a child criminal on the streets of Londinium?"

"She DID have outside help," declared the ensign triumphantly. "Just not the one we thought. Do you remember the interview with Serebryakov, her adjutant? That girl was way too confident! I am certain she had a hand in it, which would explain why the Devil was out on the streets without support."

"Oh, I remember that interview all right," came Elya's dry response. "I remember the screaming and death threats and accusations..."

"Lieutenant," came the growl from Strong.

"Fine," declared Elya, throwing up her hands in surrender. "Let's say for the sake of argument that Tina and Tanya are the same person. Where the hell is she now?"

There was a moment of silence, then Captain Strong said, "She disappeared after that big shoot-out, which only makes sense. I wouldn't be surprised if she left the city, maybe even the country."

"Or she just changed her face," pointed out Elya. "Since we are assuming she can use magic without anyone detecting it - somehow."

There was a long minute of silence as they all considered the dilemma. Then Mary said, "Fernandez."

"Pardon?" asked Elya.

"Lena Fernandez. The waitress from the pub. The one who is suspected for shooting the policeman. The one who witnesses say was close friends with Tina, to the point of committing murder for her sake. She disappeared at the same time. It's possible they're still together, wherever they are. If we can find her, we might find Degurechaff."

Elya considered this. "I suppose, since Fernandez isn't a trained mage, she would be easier to track."

"Exactly!"

"I see." murmured Strong. "Very well, Ensign. I'll get with Scotland Yard and see if we can't rustle up some clues regarding her whereabouts. Don't hold your breath though. Even Albion isn't that small, and there's so many ships leaving the country each day she could be almost anywhere."

The Captain took off shortly after that, leaving the Ensign and the Lieutenant in the room. After a while, Elya broke the silence. "You know, Ensign, you seem to be taking all this way too personally."

"And you seem to be taking this way too cavalierly!" came the passionate reply. "But then I shouldn't be surprised. I bet you're perfectly happy to sabotage this investigation!"

"Careful, Ensign," Elya replied. Languidly getting to her feet, she strode forward until she was face to face, and smirking down at Mary from her three-inch height advantage. "Accusations like that could cause an international incident. And do you know what happens to ensigns who cause international incidents? They get sent home. Out of sight, out of mind."

As she spoke, Elya deliberately pushed her way into Mary's personal space. The ensign, in turn, backed up almost unconsciously, until her knees bumped into a chair. Elya took advantage of her momentary distraction to push the ensign down into the seat. Mary immediately tried to stand back up, but Elya spun up a reinforcement spell to forcefully keep her seated.

It was a contest Elya was destined to lose. Whatever else, there was no denying Mary Sioux was the stronger mage. So Elya kept talking to keep Mary from remembering that fact. "Whatever you might think, ensign, I too am quite interested in finding Tanya von Degurechaff. There are quite a few people in the Empire very interested in her whereabouts."

Sensing Mary had stopped struggling for the moment, Elya took the opportunity to slip behind the chair, and drape herself over Mary's shoulders, her own face next to the ensign's. Teasing prudes had always been a bit of a hobby for Elya ever since she met her best friend Visha, and Mary made Visha look like a libertine. Sure enough, the ensign stiffened up like a statue, the sudden intimacy short-circuiting any resistance.

Carefully keeping any amusement out of her voice, Elya said, "My chief concern really, is that should we ever be in a position to arrest Degurechaff, you might suddenly find it necessary to kill her for resisting arrest."

"What? How dare... I wouldn't..."

Elya cut short Mary's spluttering denials. "'For the good Lord God cannot allow a sinner like her to walk free'" she quoted softly. "I am afraid, ensign, that you made your position quite clear. This is not an investigation for you, but a crusade. And the funny thing about crusades is, the first step is to deny the humanity of your target."

In the ensuing silence, Elya took a moment to ponder how much more comfortable it would be to embrace someone if they weren't doing their best impression of a marble statue.

"You... you're wrong." the shuddering words fell from Mary's lips.

"Oh?"

"This is a crusade against injustice. Against people doing whatever they think they can get away with. About calling people to account for the evil they have done."

"Like killing your father?"

"Degurechaff did much worse than that! So much worse..."

"But that's the only crime that matters, isn't it?"

"NO!" The ensign took a deep breath, before her voice came out at its normal level. "No. My father's death... it is terrible... but that is not the reason why we must bring Degurechaff to justice..."

"Oh? But if that is the case, why are you treating this case so very personally, ensign?"

"I-I'm not..."

"You're not nearly a good enough liar to make that convincing. No ensign..." Elya deliberately leaned forward so that her next words would send her hot breath tickling against the pulse point in the ensign's neck. "I think... what you need to ask yourself... more than anything... what or who do you really, really want."

Elya got up after that. On the way, she took her time to run her hand through the ensign's hair. And then she left the room without looking back, leaving the ensign frozen in her seat.

All part of the plan that she'd come up with on the spot to keep Ensign Sioux confused and off kilter.

Elya had been telling the truth in a sense, there were people in the Empire for whose sake Elya was willing to track down Major Degurechaff. And Mary was an asset in that regard, her dogged determination and flashes of insight finding clues that others missed. The trouble was that those virtues were married to an obsessive personality and level of magic power that Elya found extremely disturbing. If the ensign ever got every bit of her scattered personality pointed in a single direction, Elya suspected that all restraint would fly out the window. Best that Elya use whatever tricks she could to keep her scattered and confused for as long as humanly possible.

March 31, 1927, New York, Unified States

I wasn't sure how, but somehow I'd become the one tasked with making sure Jenny did her assigned homework from school. It was almost enough to send me fleeing back to New Jersey. At least there, the Mayor would pay me for the demands he put on time.

Over the last couple of months, business had come along well. While the Mayor took ruthless advantage of the generous terms I'd offered him, I did manage to make my money back using Household Magicks, the latest subsidiary of Manpower Plus. Once I'd demonstrated to the mayor and doctors alike the small but significant beneficial effects a Feng Shui ritual could have on health and well-being, I'd been swamped with requests. What had started as a few orders for Feng Shui rituals around Jersey hospitals had quickly extended to demand from other hospitals and organizations, not just in Jersey but in New York as well.

In fact, the demand had gotten so high I'd had to break my own rule about not recruiting mages below the age of 18. I justified it to myself by sending all under-18 mages to Household Magicks and keeping them far away from the dangers of Velvet Iron. Changying Lin was the CEO of Household Magicks and she proved surprisingly adept at spreading the word and drumming up new business. The best part was, since Feng Shui rituals needed regular recharging, I could sell them a service instead of a onetime sale. And since Household Magicks was the only company that could make a Feng Shui ritual practical, we had a monopoly for the foreseeable future. A monopoly that I further reinforced by taking out a patent on the modified rituals. Did I feel guilty about stealing an ancient heritage and taking out a patent on it? Not after I saw the company's monthly balance sheet.

My own bank account was also looking quite healthy. True, I secretly owned them all through Manpower Plus, but between my salary as Jennifer Ecks and the royalties from the patented rituals, my official taxable income had also hit $800 a month.

Tempting as it was to kick back and relax, I couldn't allow myself to fall into complacency. The American bubble continued to grow towards its inevitable date with destiny, and whatever pieces the Great Depression left Being X was sure to kick down. Right now, both Velvet Iron and Household Magicks were luxury services offered to those who had extra cash lying around to buy a bit of extra security. My in with the Jersey City mayor meant Velvet Iron had a few government contracts to fall back on, but they weren't profitable enough to keep the company going on their own. No, if I wanted to keep the business going, I needed new opportunities.

Still, I had to put aside such thought for the moment, and help out Jenny with the intricacies of long division.

Later at dinner, I received what might very well be a potential answer to my problems. Mayor Hague had been in touch with Lena in her capacity as CEO of Velvet Iron Protection.

"What does he need mages for?" I asked when I heard the bare bones of the request.

"He doesn't. From what I understand, a computation orb research facility has opened up in Trenton, one of the investors is a friend of the mayor, and this facility is currently looking for mages to help with product development."

"What kind of product."

"Something called a multi-core orb, you have any idea what that is?"

I felt a ball of ice settle in my stomach. "Lena, did he say, and this is important here, a dual-core orb or a quad-core orb?"

"No, just multi-core. Why?"

"Because dual-cores are an ambitious but achievable goal. Quad-cores are banned by international law."

"Banned by..." Lena drew in a sharp breath. "Now I remember. The Brest disaster, that was a quad-core wasn't it."

"Indeed it was. Lena, I want you to get back in touch with Hague. Tell him to set us up with the people involved in this project. We're not just going to act as consultants on this, Manpower Plus is going to be an investor."

"Why?"

Because there's no way I'm giving Being X another chance at influencing this world when I have the chance to stop it. I couldn't say that out loud though, so what I said was, "The world does not need quad-core technology, Lena. Three people died to make the Elenium Type 95, and hundreds of thousands more when it destabilized. Do you really want to see something like that happen in Trenton? No, we're going to be part of it, and we're going to make sure to keep them far away from that insanity."

As I calmed down from my initial panic, I realized there would be one more advantage to being a partner to this enterprise. If these people really had ambitions to design a multi-core orb, then they must already possess the expertise to produce single-core combat orbs. And a combat-rated orb, even single-core, would be far superior to what I had now. I could fly again.

Well, not freely. Magic detectors were still a thing, and Second Amendment or no the Americans had still done the sane thing and banned combat orbs from anyone outside the military. Still, even if I couldn't use it openly, I could once more have the option of flying away from danger. That would be worth any amount of money. And if they could somehow get dual core orbs working? The sky was literally the limit, and as a partner I'd be along for the ride.

Still, I had to make absolutely sure to impress on the researchers involved how much of a bad idea it would be to even dream of recreating the Type 95. "Lena, once we've got everything set up and we're a partner, I need you find out everything you can about the people involved. In particular, I need the names of the head researchers, the scientific minds powering this enterprise."

"All right. Why?"

"Because they need to know why they shouldn't even think of trying to violate the quad-core ban. Because for something like this... yes, it's a risk, but I think the Devil of the Rhine might just come out of retirement."